Fighter: Transition and Specialized Training

USAAF TRAINING AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE CODES of WW II

"J" coded P-47's based at Dover AAF, DE

Official USAAF Photo courtesy of the Dover AFB AMC Museum

NOTES

The assignment of field letter codes to Transition Training aircraft (S-E in particular) does not seem meet any defined pattern or plan.
Pilots destined to be P-38 drivers would skip this phase of training and go directly from BT-13's to Curtiss AT-9 then to P-38's.

USAAF 1st Air Force

Hq: Mitchel Field, NY

Army Air Field

Field Letter Code

Aircraft

Bradley Field, CT

V

P-47, A-24

Dover, DE

J

P-40, P-47

Godman, KY

D

P-47

Millville, NJ

T, then M

P-47, RA-25, B-26

Selfridge Field, MI

B, E, S

P-39, P-47

Seymour-Johnson Field, NC

A

P-40, P-47

Shaw AAF, SC

S (?)

P-47

Suffolk Co AAF, NY

G

P-47

Walterboro, SC

F

P-47

Millville AAF: Field code letter of "T" applied initially to razorback P-47's. Receipt of bubble canopy P-47's the letter code of "M" was assigned.

USAAF 2nd Air Force

Hq: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Army Air Field

Field Letter Code

Aircraft

Abilene, TX

A, E

P-47, P-40

Biggs Field, TX

P

P-47

Dalhart, TX

W

P-47

Ft. Sumner, NM

W

P-47, P-40

Galveston, TX

Y

P-47

La Junta, CO

J

P-47

Majors Field, TX

M

P-47

Pecos, TX

P

P-51

Peterson Field, CO

D, B

P-40, P-63

Pyote, TX

A

P-63

Scribner, NE

unknown

P-47

Strother Field, KS

P

P-47

USAAF 3rd Air Force

Hq:Tampa, Florida

Army Air Field

Field Letter Code

Aircraft

Aiken, SC

A

P-40, P-51

Blackstone, VA

J

P-47

Bluethenthal Field, NC

A, S

P-47

Bartow, FL

L

P-51

Coffeyville, KS

(NLA)

F-5 (P-38)

Dale Mabry Field, FL

T

P-39, P-40, P-47, P-51

DeRidder, LA

M?

P-39, P-40, P-51

Esler Field, LA

C, F

P-39, P-40, RA-25

Ft. Myers, FL

A

P-39, P-40,P-47, P-51D

Harris Neck, GA

V

P-39, P-40

Hillsborough, FL

E

P-51A

Key Field, MS

unknown

P-51

Lawson, GA

F

P-40

Morris Field, NC

J

P-47

Myrtle Beach, SC

F

P-39

Perry, FL

N

P-40, P-47, P-51

Pinellas, FL

H

P-40, P-47, P-51, TP-40

Punta Gorda, FL

M

P-40, P-51

Richmond, VA

K

P-47

Sarasota, FL *

J

P-40, P-47, P-51, TP-40

Thomasville, GA

Z

P-39, P-40, P-51

Venice, FL

P

P-39, P-47

Waycross, GA

R

P-39, P-40, P-51

* Pinellas AAF was a sub-base of Sarasota AAF therefore it's aircraft occasionally displayed the same fuselage letter codes.

USAAF Western Flying Training Command

Hq: Santa Ana, California

Army Air Airfield

Field Letter Code

Aircraft

Code Letter Source

Luke Field, AZ

X

P-36, P-39, P-40, P-38, RP-39

PhoeniX

Minter Field, CA

L

P-38

Lerdo

Muroc, CA

unknown

P-38

Victorville, CA

V

P-39, TP-39

Victorville

Williams Field, AZ

Y

RP-322 (P-38), TP-40

HigleY

USAAF Central Flying Training Command

Hq: Randolph Field, Texas

Army Air Field

Field Letter Code

Aircraft

Code Letter Source

Aloe, TX

See Aloe note below

P-40, P-47

Unknown

Brooks Field, TX

O

BC-1, AT-6, O-52

BroOks

Dalhart, TX

W

P-47

Unknown

Foster Field, TX

# Y

AT-6, P-40, P-51

Unknown

Goodfellow, TX

# E

AT-6, P-40

Unknown

Matagorda Island, TX

M

P-47

Matagorda

Matagorda Peninsula, TX

P

P-322, P-40, P-47, P-51, B-18

Unknown

Moore Field, TX

#Z

P-39, P-40

Unknown

# The letter code was a suffix to the assigned sequential number (e.g. 234M)

Aloe AAF Note: P-40's did not display a letter code, P-47's displayed a suffix 'W" code.

USAAF Eastern Flying Training Command

Hq: Maxwell Field, Alabama

Army Air Field

Field Letter Code

Aircraft

Code Letter Source

Craig Field, AL

CR

P-40

CRaig

Napier Field, AL

N

P-40, TP-39

Napier

Spence Field, GA

SP

P-40

SPence

Turner, GA

T

P-40

Turner

Tuskegee, AL

E

P-40

Unknown

USAAF Air Technical Service Command

Hq: Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio

Army Air Field

Field Letter Code

Aircraft

Alachua, FL

(NLA)

P-40, P-51

Harding, LA

A

P-47,P-51A, BT-13, AT-23

(NLA): No Letter Assigned

Photo Gallery

1st Air Force

"V" coded P-47's based at Bradley Field AAF, CT

Photo courtesy of CT State Library

"J" coded P-47 based at Dover AAF, DE comes to grief.

Official USAAF Photo courtesy of Dover AFB AMC Museum

"E" coded P-39's based at Selfridge Field, MI

USAAF Photo from the Collection of Jeff Benya

"G"coded P-47 based at Suffolk Co AAF, NY

Photo from F Paauwe Collection

"T" coded P-47 based at Millville AAF, NJ
Photo from F Paauwe Collection

"M" coded P-47 based at Millville AAF, NJ

Photo Source: Millville Air Museum

"S" coded P-39 based at Selfridge AAF, MI

Photo source: Selfridge Museum

"H" coded P-51's based at Pinellas, FL

Photo source: USAAF

"D" coded P-47 based at Godman AAF, KY

USAAF Photo (Chris Brame Collection)

"A" coded P-47's based at Harding AAF, LA

Photo source: USAAF

Ramp photo at Harding AAF

Photo Source: USAAF

Pair of "A" coded P-47s based at Harding AAF, GA

Photo source: USAAF

2nd Air Force

"Y" coded P-47's based at Galveston AAF, TX

USAAF Photo

''W" coded P-40 photographed at Ft. Sumner AAF, NM

Note:Based there or just a fueling stop?

Photo Source: USAAF

"A" coded P-47D based at Abilene AAF, TX

Pilot on wing: 2nd Lt B. Byers

Source: Personal Collection of Kurt Byers

"B" coded P-63 based at Peterson AAF, CO

USAAF Photo

"D" coded P-40 based at Peterson AAF, CO

Photo Source: Peteerson Air & Space Museum

o

3rd Air Force

"N" coded P-51 based at Perry AAF, Fl

Photo by W.T. Larkins

"Z" coded P-39 based at Thomasville AAF, GA

Photo courtesy of Allan Hammons Colection

"E" coded P-51B based at Hillsborough AAF, FL

Photo courtesy of the Allan Hammons Collection

"J" coded P-47 based at Sarasota AAF, FL

Collection of Michael Drake

"J" coded P-40's based at Sarasota AAF, FL

USAAF Photo

"J" coded P-51 based at Sarasota AAF, FL

Photo Source: USAAF

"R" coded P-40 based at Waycross AAF, GA

Photo from the Collection of S. Donacik

"K" coded P-47 based at Richmond AAF, VA

Photo courtesy of the Dan Johnson Collection

"A" coded P-40 based at Ft.Myers AAF, FL

Source:Tom Laemlin /ArmorPlate Press

"H" coded TP-40 based at Pinellas AAF, FL

USAAF Photo

"T" coded P-51's based at Dale Mabry AAF, FL

USAAF Photo from Dale Mabry AAF Museum

"S" coded P-47N based at Bluethenthal AAF, VA

Photo Source: Joe Stern Collection & Greenville Flyers

"Z" coded P-40's based at Thomasville, FL

Note the grave error by Thomasville AAF paint shop. Aircraft in the EFTC were not to display a 'hyphen' between the field letter and the following number. As a result there was a direct conflict with the markings of aircraft based at Las Vegas AAF that were also "Z" coded with a hyphen!

Photo:S. Donacik

"F" coded P-40 based at Lawson AAF, GA

Photo: S. Donacik Collection

"C" coded (infix) P-40 based at Esler AAF, LA

Photo: Pugh Collection

"E" coded P-40's based at Tuskegee AAF, AL

Photo Source: Tuskegee Museum

"L" coded P-51B based at Bartow AAF, FL

Photo Source: Collection of Ken Crist

"M" coded P-40 based at Punta Gorda AAF, FL comes to grief

Photo Source: USAAF

"F" coded P-39 based at Myrtle Beach AAF, SC

Photo Source: John Levesley

"R80" coded P-51 based at Waycross AAF,GA

Photo Source: USAAF(Collection of Chris Brame)

"F" coded P-39 based at Esler AAF, LA

Photo Source: USAAF (Collection of Chris Brame )

Western Flying Training Command

"X" coded P-40 based at Luke Field, AZ

Official USAAF photo from Collection of D. Trojan

"V" coded TP-39 based at Victorville AAF, CA

Photo by W.T. Larkins

"V" coded P-39Q based at Victorville AAF, CA

Photo source: USAAF

"Y" coded P-322 based at Williams Field, AZ
(note RAF S/N)

USAAF Photo

Central Flying Training Command

"Z" coded (suffix) P-40 based at Moore Field, TX

Photo from the Collection of Chris Brame

"Y" coded (suffix) P-51 based at Foster Field,TX

Photo courtesty of the Tom Michel Collection

"W" coded (suffix) P-47 based at Aloe AAF, TX

USAAF Photo: Collection of Lycaman

"P" coded P-40 based at Matagorda Peninsula AAF, TX

Photo courtesty of the Tom Michel Collection

"P" coded P-47 based at Matagoda Peninsula AAF, TX

Photo courtesty of the Tom Michel Collection

"E" coded (suffix) P-40 based at Goodfellow AAF, TX

Photo Source: G. Asher

Eastern Flying Training Command

"N" coded TP-39 based at Napier Field, AL

USAAF Photo

"SP" coded P-40N based at Spence AAF, GA

Photo Source: Donacik Collection

End of the Line for Single Engine Fighter Aircraft

A sea of factory fresh P-47's await disposition
(Location unknown)

Photo source: USAAF

A large accumulation of P-51's await final diposition
(Location unknown)

Photo source: USAAF

A seemingly infinite lake of factory fresh P-38's await dispostion
(Location unknown)

Photo source: USAAF

Post WWII Surplus Sales Prices (Source: "Surplus WW II U.S.Aircraft", pg 179, by W.T. Larkins)

P-36 $ 650 P-47 $ 3500

P-38 $ 1250 P-51 $ 3500

P-39 $ 700 P-63 $ 1000

P-40 $ 1250 P-64 $ 825

P-43 $ 1250

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